Franklin a



(No Model.)

F. A. WELLER. 1 ELECTRIC MOTOR SWITCH.

N0. 445,741. Patented Feb. 3,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F {ANKIIIN A. \VELLER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGXOR TO \VILLIAM S.I'IADAIVAY, JR, TRUSTEE'OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-MOTOR SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,741, dated February3, 1891.

Application filed February 1, 1890.

To coZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. WELLER, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certainImprovements in Motor-Switches, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of mechanismembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a vertical section online 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. represents the insulating-cap 4O detached; andFig. at represents one member of a two-part switohbar A, all of whichwill be referred to and more specifically described hereinafter.

This invention relates to means for starting and stopping electricmotors on constant-potential circuits, and has for its object to providea means of the character and for the purpose stated, whereby in startingthe motor the rush of current is graduated to the increasing speed ofthe motor, and whereby also the potential current may be quickly brokenfor the purpose of stopping the motor when desired.

In carryii'ig out my invention as represented in the accompanyingdrawings I employ a supporting frame-work composed of block 4 and itsoverhanging arm F. The arm F is provided with an opening to receivespindle B. Said spindle has on its top end a projecting handle G, andthe bottom end of said spindle is socketed in a suitable bearingsupported by the block 4, to the end that a rotary reciprocatin gmovementmay be imparted to the spindle by a person moving the handle Gr.Connected with the spindle B is a switch-bar A. Said bar is composed oftwo members 5 and 0. Said members are duplicates of each other, and areformed of conducting material, preferably of a conducting spring metal.Said members are attached to the spindle B in such manner that when thespindle is rotated by a movement of thehandle G the two members arethereby made to travel uniformly as one part or bar, and thus combinedsaid members constitute what for convenience in this specification Ihave designated as switch-bar A. Said members 5 and 6 are carefullyinsulated Serial No. 338,910. (No model.)

from each other and from the spindle B and its supporting frame-work. Tothis end the spindle B is surrounded by a ring 7, of noncoi'lductingmaterial, Fig. 2, against which the two members 5 6, composingswitch-bar A, 5 5 are brought to bear, as shown in Fig. 2. Said spindleB is further provided with a shoulder 8 and receives a threaded nut9, bymeans of which the two members 5 and 6 are clamped tightly between theinsulatingcollars 10 10, as shown, Fig. 2, the inner end faces of saidmembers being allowed to bear against the ring 7.

On the supporting-base are mounted deadblocks 6 e, on which the outerends of switchbar A are allowed to rest while the motor is not running.On the base block is also mounted the conducting-plate II, to which isconnected one side of the line-wire 12, through an intermediate post K.The other side of theline-wire is connected through wire X andintermediate post K to a metallic commutator-strip D, one end of whichis secured to the base-block a and the opposite end of which bearsyieldingly against the shank of memher 5 of switch-bar A. Said post K isalso connected with the field-magnet coils of the motor by the wire X,and a wire X connects said coils with the metallic commutator-strip Dthrough post K One end of the strip D is supported on the base-block aand the opposite end bears yieldingly electrically against the shank ofmember6 of switch-barA. Said post K is also connected with one brush ofthe armature. The opposite motor-brush is connected by a suitable wire Zto post K.

On thebase-block at are metallic blocks I I I I I. Said blocks I I areconnected with the rheostat or resistance-coils. The block 1- is furtherconnected electrically with the post 0 K The conductor II is covered byan insulating-cap 40, Fig. 3, which is formed of fiber or othernon-conducting material. The cap is held in position by screws M O. Theblocks I I are covered by a duplicate insu- 5 lat-ing-cap, as shown. Theswitch-bar A in moving from left to right travels beneath the saidinsulating-caps, one end bearing directly on the blocks I I, theopposite end bearing on the conductor II. To this end the insu- Ice Vthat'the switch-bar travels air-spaceiU, .Fig.

lating-caps have their ends adjacent to the dead-blocks e e slightlyelevatedto allow the.

switch-bar A in going from the dead-blocks e e to pass readily under theinsulating-caps. The opposite ends of said caps are pressed more closelydownv upontheir respective blocks, to the end that when the switchdiarAhas emerged from under the caps-a back ward movement of the switch-barwill cause the ends thereof to ride upover the insulating-caps. Tofacilitate this operation, the caps have their edges 16 16 chamfered, asshown. They are also preferably made sufficiently thin to yield upwardlywhile the switch-bar passes under and spring downwardly when theswitch-bar emerges. As a furthur means of facilltatingthis operation,

the switch-bar A hasits edges20 '20 "also chamfered or rolled slightlyupward.- As the switch-bar pass s from left to right its pro gress isstopped by a suitable stud or pin 25, just after the ends of the baremerge from under theinsulating-caps andbear uponvconductor-blocks I andH. The backward move-v ment of the switch-bar A causes it to lift abovethe insulating-caps, and a stop 'op-. erates to prevent the switch-barfrombeingf again brought .into contact with thetermi nals H 1 until thebar has been first carried to its proper starting-pointi.-e., the-dead-. blocks e e. c 1

The stop 30 is made of. springcmetal; or otherwise adapted to yieldupwardlyto per= mit the lifting of the switch-bar 0nto.the1:in-'sulating-caps, after which the stop settles down to prevent the returnof the'switchtbar.v In addition to its own flexibility, aspring- 32,arranged as shown in Fig, 2, operates to press downwardly theswitch-barA andcause it to bear downwardly uponthe terminalsorswitch-bar.

The operation of this switchis as follows:

The switch-handle is moved from leftlto right. and brought into positionwith the .ends of I the switch-bar-bearing upon the blocks 1ee,

bar while the motor is not in operation. To

start the motor, said handle is moved :from, right to left, therebycausingthe bar A to ap-.- Said terminals.

proach the terminals II I I. are positioned relatively to the blockse:e, so

1, before its opposite end reaches airspace V,

so that the line-current passes through post K, terminal ILswitch-barmember 6, connector D to post Ki-through the field-mag-= net coils ofthe motor to K andto the other side of line, therebymaki-ngthe'-coils-.mag-.

As the switch- 7 the current passes to armature through resistance-coilsconnected to terminals I I and post K. As the switch-bar continues itsmovement over the terminals I I, the resistance is gradually cut outtill the switch-bar reaches its extreme forward movement and bears uponthe block I, that being its normal position when the motor is in fullspeed.

To stop the motor, handle G is given a reversed movement, whereby theends of switchbar A are made to ride upon the top of insulating stripsor caps 40 40, the lifting of the-switch-bar being effected by thechamfered edges of the insulating-caps and the upturned edges of theswitch-bar. The switch-bar, when once lifted to bear upon theinsulating-cap, is prevented by stopSO from I returning to contact withterminals H I" until it is first carried to the dead-blocks cc, and

made to travel under the insulating-caps over the resistance-terminalsII, and in this way approach the terminals H I, as before.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. A switch forcontrolling motors, havingthe-armaturecoils in a branch or shunt cir-:main line to both field and armature coils, an

cuit comprising a series of resistance-con operatinghandle, and a pairof contacts there-v;-

on moving in unison with but insulated from each other, one controllingthe main line to both the-field and armature coils andwthewroo other theshunt through the armature and I76-- sistance coils, said parts being sopositioned with relation to each other that the main line describedshallbe establishedthrough the field-coils in advance .of theestablishment of the circuit; through. the armature-coils, substantiallyas 2. A switch for controlling motors, having I which one arm is adaptedv.to contact, and a contact in themain line to the shunt and fieldcoils, located relatively in advance of the firstresistance-contact,wherebythe circuit is established through the field-.coils-in ad- -vanceof the establishmentof the circuit which is the normal position ofvthe'switchthrough the sh tint-circuit and armature-coils,

substantially as described. 1

3. A switchv for controlling a main line and a resistance-shunt circuitin said main line,-

of resistance-contacts in the shunt,with which 1 said-armsare adapted.to co-operate during; theirmovementin one direction, and insulating-plates overlying both the main line and? resistancecontacts, uponwhich the armsrare' supported during the return movement, sub-'stantially' as described.

4. A switch forcontrolling a main line and v a resistance-shunt circuitin said main line,

comprising a pivoted operaiing-handle, a pair of switclrarms mounted onsaid handle and insulated from each other, a pair of contact springsengaging said switch-arms,respec iveiy, one forming one terminal of themain line, a main-line contact with which the arm engaging with saidspring is adapted to cooperate to establish the main line, and a seriesof resistance-contacts forming one terminal of the shuntcircuit, theopposite terminal being formed by the spring engaging the arm adapted toco-operate with said resistanceterminals, substantially as described,

5. In a switch such as described, the combination, with the pivotedoperating-handle having an insulatingh nb movable therewith, a pair ofindependent switch-arms mounted on said hub opposite and out ofelectrical connection with each other and having the ex tendedhubtianges and the terminal springs engaging said hub-flanges, the longmain-line contact with which one of the arms co-operate, and the seriesof contacts with which the opposite arm co-operates, whereby a main lineand a resistance-shunt in said line may be controlled, substantially asdescribed.

(3. In a switch such as described, the combination, with the pivotedoperating-handle having an insulating-hub movable therewith, flanges attop and bottom of said hub, and a pair of independent switch-arms havinghubflanges held between said first-mentioned flanges out of electricalconnection with each other, and the terminal springs engaging saidhub-flanges on the arms, of the long mainline contact with which one ofthe arms cooperates and the series of contacts with which the oppositearm co-operates, whereby a main line and a resistance-shunt in said linemay be controlled, substantially as described.

7. In an electrical switch,the combination. with the pivoted switch-armand contactwith which the same is adapted to cooperate, of the springinsulating-plate overlying and between which and the contact the armpasses,

having one of its ends slightly nearer the con tact than the other,whereby the arm in its return movement is caused to travel over theplate, substantially as described.

8. In an electrical switeh,the combination, with the yielding pivotedswitch-arm having the rolled up or beveled edge and contact with whichthe arm is adapted to co-operate, of the insulating-plate overlying andbetween which and the contact the arm passes, having its rear endbeveled and adapted to engage the beveled edge of the arm, whereby thearm is caused to travel over the plate in the return movement,substai'itially as described.

9. In an electrical switch, the combination, with the yieldingswitch-arm, the contact with which the arm is adapted to co-operate, andthe insulating-plate overlying and between which and the contact the armpasses in its forward movement and over which it passes in thereturn-stroke, of the stop for said arm having the overhanging end forpreventing the re-entry of the arm without returning to first position,substantially as described.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 20th day of January, A. D. 1890.

FRANKLIN A. XVELLER.

\Vitnesses:

W. S. HADAWAY, Jr, C. B. TUTTLE.

